India Says Missile It Fired Into Pakistan Was An Accident

A “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance led to the firing of a missile into Pakistan, India’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement Friday.

“On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile,” the statement read. “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”

A Pakistani military spokesman said Thursday night that a “high-speed flying object” that originated in the direction of India had crashed near the eastern city of Mian Channu, Reuters reported. The object traveled at an altitude of 40,000 feet, at Mach 3, and flew 77 miles in Pakistan airspace, according to a Pakistani air force official.

“The flight path of this object endangered many national and international passenger flights both in Indian and Pakistani airspace as well as human life and property of ground,” he said.

Before the ministry released the statement, Pakistan, with which India has a history of conflict, said Friday there could be “unpleasant consequences” for the incident, Reuters reported.

Pakistan‘s foreign office said it had summoned India’s charge d’affaires to protest what it said was a violation of its airspace and demanded an investigation into the matter, the outcome of which needed to be shared.

India’s statement said it had “taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.”